


hey baby, i think i want to marry you

by TheFlirtMeister



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: F/M, M/M, Marriage Law Challenge, Nancy Wheeler is done with her brother's shit, Running Away, Sibling Bonding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-29
Updated: 2018-03-29
Packaged: 2019-04-14 17:00:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,116
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14140497
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheFlirtMeister/pseuds/TheFlirtMeister
Summary: “I may have known they were dating.” Jonathan says, sounding as awkward as Steve. “But I didn’t think to tell you.”“Why not?!” Nancy exclaims. “I deserve to know!”“Dude.” Dustin says. “Your parents voted for Reagan. We couldn’t trust you.”





	hey baby, i think i want to marry you

**Author's Note:**

> listen..... i know nothing about america in present day or in the 1980's. this is probably all wrong. who cares.

Nancy is watching television in the living room with her mom when there’s a frantic knocking at the door. It’s a Friday afternoon, her dad is at work, Holly is on the floor, and Mike is either in his room or annoying one of his tiny friends. Nancy groans, looking at her mother whose eyes are still fixed firmly on the television, and presses her socked foot against her mom’s leg.

“What?” Her mom asks, not looking at her.

“The door?” Nancy asks, and her mother prods her back.

“You answer it. I’m watching the tv.”

“Ugh.” Nancy whines, and clambers off the sofa, pulling down her skirt. “I was watching too you know!”

“Well, you’re my daughter.” Her mom says, “That means you’re my servant.”

“You suck.” Nancy says, and goes to open the door.

Jonathan is standing on the doorstep, looking frazzled, which is kind of an attractive look on him. Nancy raises her eyebrows at him, because normally Jonathan phones the home before he turns up, or at least sends a message over Will’s walkie-talkie.

“To what do I owe this pleasure?” Nancy asks, leaning against the doorframe. She’s trying to be coy, flirty, but Jonathan pushes straight past her and into her house.

“Where’s Mike?” He demands.

“Oh thanks.” Nancy shuts the door, “Glad you prefer the company of my baby brother more than mine.”

“That’s not-“ Jonathan says, waving a hand. “Where is he?”

“I don’t know.” Nancy shrugs. “In his room? Or hanging out with the rest of his little group.”

“Will’s missing.”

“What?” Nancy exclaims, panic rising. “He’s been taken?”

“No, nothing like that!” Jonathan holds up his hands. “It’s not supernatural or upside down or anything.”

“Then what is it?” Nancy asks, just as her mother pokes her head over the sofa.

“Nancy hun? What are you doing? Who was at the door?”

“Just Jonathan, Mom!” Nancy calls back.

“Well stand where I can see you!” She says, and Nancy rolls her eyes.

“Yeah, cause I’m gonna fuck him in the hallway.” She mumbles, and then grabs hold of Jonathan’s arm. “We’re just going to get Mike!”

“Okay!” Her mom calls, and Nancy drags Jonathan up the stairs.

“Explain.” She says, as she clambers up the stairs, two at a time. “Fast.”

“Will’s gone.” Jonathan says, tripping on the step that her dad still hasn’t fixed yet. “But like, stuff in his room is gone too. Clothes, and his drawing pad.”

“Sleepover?” Nancy offers.

“No. He’s taken too much stuff. Money too, from my Mom’s purse. And some paperwork, with her signature on it.”

“Are you serious?” Nancy asks, turning to look at him.

Jonathan nods. “Yeah.” He says, “I think Mike has something to do with it.”

“Why?” Nancy asks, just as they get to Mike’s room.

Jonathan doesn’t have a chance to answer before Nancy knocks on Mike’s door loudly, thumping her fist against the wood.

“Mike!” She yells. “Open up!”

Silence.

“Mike!” She yells again, and then shoves the door open.

The room has been ransacked. Mike’s wardrobe is thrown open, the shelves pulled out, toys all over the floor. Nancy gasps, stepping into the room, and then realises the mess is deliberate, someone searching for things.

“Will’s room was tidier.” Jonathan says.

“I bet it was.” Nancy says, and bites the corner of her thumb. “His rucksack is missing. The big one, that he takes to camp.”

“I think they’ve run away together.” Jonathan says.

“But why?” Nancy asks.

Jonathan shrugs. “Because they’re kids? Didn’t you ever try and run away when you were little?”

“No.” Nancy says. “Did you?”

“All the time.” Jonathan says. “I was a regular police pick up.”

“You rebel.” Nancy says, and hip checks him. “Hey, do you think the others are missing too?”

“I don’t know.” Jonathan says. “Let’s find Steve.”

“I like the way you think.” Nancy says, and grabs his arm to drag him off again.

*

Steve is sitting on his front porch watching Dustin do kickflips on his bike when Jonathan pulls the car up outside. Nancy is first out, flinging open the car door, and marching up to the two boys. Steve has the good knowledge to look scared, but Dustin gleefully rides around her on his bike like a lion circling prey.

“What are you doing?!” Dustin asks, and Nancy comes to a halt, folding her arms.

“Where’s Mike? And Will?” She asks him.

Confusion flutters past Dustin’s face. “I don’t know! What happened?”

“They’ve both vanished.” Jonathan tells him. “Not anything…. Upside-downy, but just disappearing.”

“Huh.” Dustin says, stopping on his bike. “I don’t know anything. I’m innocent!”

Nancy looks up at Steve, who looks suspiciously nervous. “Steve?”

“So about that…” Steve starts, and Nancy marches over, standing directly over him. He shrinks underneath her gaze.

“What have you done?” She hisses.

“Okay, first of all, I in no way encouraged them!” Steve says, sounding panicked, “Although I did talk about the power of true love, and how you should do everything to achieve it-“

“What have you done?” Nancy repeats, and Steve looks from her, to Jonathan, to Nancy again.

“I may have suggested that they could get married at the age of 15 in this state.” Steve says slowly.

Nancy blinks. “What?”

“He and Will,” Steve says, “I told them they could get married.”

“But why would they want to get married?”

“Duh,” Dustin says, who has ridden over. “They’re in love with one another.”

Nancy looks at Jonathan, who shuffles on his feet. “Did you know this?”

“I may have known they were dating.” He says, sounding as awkward as Steve. “But I didn’t think to tell you.”

“Why not?!” Nancy exclaims. “I deserve to know!”

“Dude.” Dustin says. “Your parents voted for Reagan. We couldn’t trust you.”

“Oh yeah, because I frog marched them to the voting booth.” Nancy says, rolling her eyes. “My best friend in the entire world was a lesbian. I’m cool with gay people.”

“Well _that’s_ a relief.” Dustin announces, and Nancy flashes him a look that could curdle milk.

“We need to find them.” She says. “Mike can’t just run away and marry Will. They have school.”

“School’s for losers.” Steve says, in the voice of someone who left school and works at his dad’s company.

“I’m going to literally kill you.” Nancy says, in the voice of someone who has had to work twice as hard as everyone else to achieve her goals.

“Noted.” Steve says, and stands up from the front step.

“What are we going to do?” Jonathan asks, and Nancy bites her thumb again.

“Where’s the nearest place you can get a marriage licence?” She asks.

“About…” Jonathan looks about. “Half an hour drive away?”

“Let’s go then.” Nancy says, and Jonathan moves towards the car. “Wait.”

She looks at Steve and Dustin, and then motions towards Dustin. “You, leave. Steve, come with us.”

“Why do I have to come with you?” Steve asks.

“Because it’s all your fucking fault.” Nancy hisses, and points at him. “So get in the car.”

*

It takes a lot less time to get to the registry office than expected, with barely any traffic on the road. Jonathan drives like a madman, Steve clinging for dear life on the back seat, and Nancy drumming her fingers on her knee for the entire way. She’s anxious as hell, Mike is only a baby, and he’s getting into something way over his head.

Has she really been so awful that Mike would want to runaway with his best friend – No, boyfriend? She thought she was supportive, while still fulfilling the role of the annoyed older sister. Has she just been awful to him the entire time?

Jonathan swings his car into the parking lot, getting dangerously close to the building before he puts on the breaks. There’s already a few people milling about, and Nancy scans them nervously for any sign of two teenage boys.

“I can’t see Will.” Jonathan says.

“I can’t see Mike.” Nancy says.

“I feel sick.” Steve says from the back. “Johnny-boy, your driving is _awful_.”

“Shut the fuck up.” Jonathan says, and clambers out the car.

Nancy follows, smoothing down her skirt as the cold air outside hits. Steve throws himself out of the car like a baby giraffe, catching himself on Nancy’s arm to keep himself upright. She doesn’t shrug him off, still searching the crowd for her brother.

“He’ll be okay.” Steve says quietly.

“He’s a child.” Nancy replies. She looks at him, biting her lip. “Am I that awful? Am I that bad of a sister?”

“No.” Steve says, and there’s a shout from Jonathan, who has already reached the front steps.

“Come on!” He yells, and Nancy and Steve race after him.

The registry office is busier than expected, with people collecting marriage licences, or applying for driving permits or passports. Nancy pushes her way through the people, occasionally stopping to ask someone if they’ve seen Mike, trying to give an accurate description.

Nobody has seen him.

She’s just about to turn back, to find Steve and Jonathan and tell them that it’s useless. That Mike and Will must have gone somewhere else, that they must have somehow crossed the border to a different state. That they’ve run far away from her, and Hawkins, and everyone they know.

The thought makes tears prick her eyeballs. She raises her hand to wipe them away, when she hears a commotion happening ahead. She rubs her eyes, and stares at the back of her brother’s head, fighting with an official. Will is beside him, bobbing from one foot to the other, clutching paperwork.

“Mike!” Nancy shouts. “ _Mike_!”

Mike turns, shock written across his face. He looks so young, and innocent, how the hell is he trying to apply for a marriage licence. He grabs hold of Will, as if attempting to run, but Nancy is older and faster.

She sweeps him up into her arms, burying her face into his hair. He smells of apple shampoo and gummy worms, and he’s so thin in her arms that she feels like she’ll snap him. Nancy releases him for a moment, and then hugs Will too, who is soft and welcoming in her arms.

“You stupid dumb idiots.” She tells them fiercely. “You morons.”

“You’ve ruined all my plans.” Mike complains, and Nancy presses her forehead against his.

“Shut up.” She says, “What were you thinking?”

“That I’m in love and I want to marry my boyfriend?” Mike says, as if it’s obvious.

“Gay marriage isn’t legal you spork.” She tells him. “And you’re 15! You’re so young!”

“Auntie May was 15 when she got pregnant!”

“Yeah, and it ruined her life!” Nancy says, as Jonathan rushes over behind her.

“Will!” He says joyfully, and the two brothers hug, ending in Jonathan hitting Will hard on the shoulder.

“You’re an idiot.” He says, and nods at Mike. “You too.”

“Nancy’s reading me the riot act.” Mike complains, rolling his eyes.

“Yeah, you deserve it.” Jonathan says, and hits Mike too.

Steve jogs up to them, slightly out of breath. Nancy moves to accommodate him, so the three of them are standing in front of the two boys.

“Nancy murdered you yet?” He asks Mike cheerfully, who blinks at the sudden addition.

“Why did all three of you have to come?” He demands, and then turns suddenly to Nancy, panicked. “You didn’t tell Mom or Dad did you?”

“Of course not.” Nancy says. “They didn’t even realise you’d gone.”

“Good.” Mike says, and Nancy pulls him into another hug.

“I’m sorry.” She whispers in his ear. “I love you.”

“I love you too.” Mike mumbles. “And I love Will.”

Will pipes up happily, “I love you too Mike.”

Nancy smiles, releasing her brother and steps back to look at the two boys. They’re holding hands, open faced but nervous, and Nancy wonders what it must feel like to love one person that much.

“Let’s go back home.” She says, “And never speak of this again.”

“Ugh.” Mike says, “Do we have to?”

“Yes.” Nancy says firmly, “There is no way you’re marrying anyone today.”

“Can we pick up drive-thru on the way home at least?” Mike asks, and Nancy considers for a moment before nodding.

“Of course.”

“Great!” Mike says cheerfully, and squeezes Will’s hand. “Come on. First one to the car is a rotten egg!”

“Oh no fair!” Will complains, and races after his boyfriend.

Nancy stands there for a moment, watching the boys run. Jonathan slips an arm around her waist, and Steve steps closer to her, the two of them silent, thinking.

“Let’s go home.” Jonathan says, and Nancy agrees.

**Author's Note:**

> comment and steve harrington will fuck up ur life in more ways than one


End file.
